NEW YORK—Rights groups “Sikhs for Justice” (SFJ) and All India Sikh Students Federation (AISSF) have approached United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detentions to secure the release of Sikh activists in India who continue to be detained even after the expiry of their prison term.
In a complaint and urgent appeal addressed to Malick Sow, Chair-Rapporteur for UN “Working Group on Arbitrary Detentions” and Ivan Šimonović, Assistant Secretary General for Human Rights, the rights groups urged the UN to push India and secure the release of Sikh “Prisoners of Conscience” and save the life of Sikh activist Bhai Gurbaksh Singh Khalsa.
UN’s Working Group on Arbitrary Detentions was established by resolution 1991/42 of the Commission on Human Rights to investigate the cases of deprivation of liberty imposed arbitrarily and in violation of international standards set forth in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The mandate of the Working Group provides that it may intervene in cases where “it is clearly impossible to invoke any legal basis justifying the deprivation of liberty (as when a person is kept in detention after the completion of his sentence or despite an amnesty law applicable to him).”
Bhai Gurbaksh Singh Khalsa is on hunger strike since November 14 to secure the release of Gurmeet Singh; Lakhwinder Singh; Shamsher Singh; Lal Singh; Wariam Singh and Gurdeep Singh Khaira who have been languishing in prisons even though they all have completed their sentences as per conviction records.
Urging the UN to secure the release of Sikh detainee, the complaint to the Working groups states that “the actions of Indian government related to continuous arbitrary detention of Sikh Prisoners of Conscience violate every norm of democracy, Universal Declaration of Human Rights and International laws.”
According to attorney Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, legal advisor to SFJ, “continued arbitrary detention of Sikh prisoners beyond the sentence period exposes the bias towards Sikhs who are minority in India. On one hand Indian system failed to prosecute those who committed genocidal attacks on Sikhs during November 1984 while on the other hand Sikh activists continue to face arbitrary detentions without any charges”, added attorney Pannun.
Sikhs groups have initiated an “Action Alert” on social media asking the community to email UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detentions to push India for the release of Sikh Prisoners of Conscience who are imprisoned beyond the period of their sentences.
Appeal to Sikhs for Justice is available here.
